Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| おめでとう | omedetō | [o̞me̞de̞to̞ː] (narrow) |
| おめでとうございます | omedetō gozaimasu | [o̞me̞de̞to̞ːɡo̞za̠ima̠sɨ̥] (narrow) |
These expressions are used to express approbation.
Which one should you use?
The short form おめでとう is used for casual settings, while the longer おめでとうございます is the polite version used to show respect. For very formal written communication or speeches, you may encounter even more elaborate expressions such as 心からお祝い申し上げます, meaning "I sincerely congratulate you" or お慶び申し上げます, which is used in formal greetings to show congratulations.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
おめでとう is an informal and versatile way to say congratulations, appropriate for friends, family and peers. For a polite and standard way to express congratulations to superiors, such as bosses, teachers or strangers, use おめでとうございます. For highly formal situations like speeches or formal letters, use 心からお祝い申し上げます or お慶び申し上げます. Additionally, in an informal setting, you might say よくやった to mean "Well done".
How do you pronounce it?
omedetō
Did you know?
- In some contexts, Japanese people use a pun by writing the end of おめでとう with the character for 'sugar' 糖. This changes the meaning to a 'sweet' congratulation.
- When celebrating a New Year, the phrase is used as あけましておめでとう, which literally translates to 'congratulations on the opening of the year'.
- The phrase おめでとう shares an etymological root with the verb 愛でる, which means to love, admire, or appreciate something beautiful.
Examples in context
- おめでとう！Congratulations!This example shows the use of おめでとう as a standalone exclamation.Tatoeba #1068623 by bunbuku, translation #1437 by CK
- 優勝おめでとう。Congratulations on your victory.This example demonstrates using おめでとう to congratulate someone on a victory.Tatoeba #79420 by KK_kaku_, translation #3818801 by CK
- 二人ともおめでとう。Congratulations to both of you.This example shows how to use おめでとう to congratulate two people.Tatoeba #11795530 by small_snow, translation #11177750 by ddnktr
- おめでとう！結婚の報告、すごく嬉しいよ。Congratulations! I'm really happy to hear about your marriage.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki congratulates Hiro much to his delight after he passes an exam.
- 美咲 Misaki合格、本当におめでとう！Gōkaku, hontō ni omedetō!Congratulations on passing, really!
- 大翔 Hirotoありがとう、美咲。すごく嬉しいよ。Arigatō, Misaki. Sugoku ureshii yo.Thank you, Misaki. I am so happy.
- 美咲 Misaki頑張ったもんね。Ganbatta mon ne.You worked hard for it.
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、やっと報われたよ。Un, yatto mukuwareta yo.Yeah, it finally paid off.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “congratulations” translations and entries おめでとう, おめでとうございます, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries おめでとう, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
